Polystyrene


[pol-ee-stahy-reen, -steer-een] /ˌpɒl iˈstaɪ rin, -ˈstɪər in/

noun, Chemistry.
1.
a clear plastic or stiff foam, a polymer of , used chiefly as an insulator in refrigerators and air conditioners.
/ˌpɒlɪˈstaɪriːn/
noun
1.
a synthetic thermoplastic material obtained by polymerizing styrene; used as a white rigid foam (expanded polystyrene) for insulating and packing and as a glasslike material in light fittings and water tanks
n.

1922, so called because it is a polymer of styrene.
polystyrene
(pŏl’ē-stī’rēn)
A brittle synthetic polymer composed of repeated styrene units. Polystyrene is transparent and rigid because the benzene rings in each styrene unit prevent the polystyrene chains from arranging themselves into a tight crystalline structure. Polystyrene has a wide variety of uses, especially as a solid foam for insulation and packaging.

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  • Polysulfide

    [pol-ee-suhl-fahyd] /ˌpɒl iˈsʌl faɪd/ noun, Chemistry. 1. a whose molecules contain two or more atoms of sulfur.

  • Polysulphide

    /ˌpɒlɪˈsʌlfaɪd/ noun 1. any sulphide of a metal containing divalent anions in which there are chains of sulphur atoms, as in the polysulphides of sodium, Na2S2, Na2S3, Na2S4, etc

  • Polysuspensoid

    [pol-ee-suh-spen-soid] /ˌpɒl i səˈspɛn sɔɪd/ noun, Physical Chemistry. 1. a in which the solid particles are polydisperse.

  • Polysyllabic

    [pol-ee-si-lab-ik] /ˌpɒl i sɪˈlæb ɪk/ adjective 1. consisting of several, especially four or more, syllables, as a word. 2. characterized by such words, as a language, piece of writing, etc. /ˌpɒlɪsɪˈlæbɪk/ adjective 1. consisting of more than two syllables adj. 1650s (implied in polysyllabical), from Medieval Latin polysyllabicus, from Greek polysyllabikos; see poly- + syllabic.

  • Polysyllable

    [pol-ee-sil-uh-buh l, pol-ee-sil-] /ˈpɒl iˌsɪl ə bəl, ˌpɒl iˈsɪl-/ noun 1. a word. /ˈpɒlɪˌsɪləbəl/ noun 1. a word consisting of more than two syllables n. 1560s; see poly- + syllable. As a rule, a word of more than three syllables.


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